Lost Love
by nancy drew nickerson
Summary: For two years, Nancy and Ned have been separated after a painful breakup. Now, two years later, a single news broadcast brings them together once again, changing their lives forever.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a totally random story that came to mind one night. I'll continue it if there are people out there that like it :) Otherwise I'll leave it be. I will say that if continued, this will eventually end up as a Nancy/Ned pairing. Just FYI. Enjoy and please, please tell me what you think. :)

* * *

_

Nancy Drew pushed her way through the small crowd of college students lingering on the patio outside. She was immediately greeted by the cold, piercing air. Behind her, Ned Nickerson followed, but she continued to walk on, ignoring him completely.

"_Nan, wait." _

_She kept walking. _

"_Nancy."_

_Just keep walking, and all of this will go away._

"_Nancy, wait, please." _

_Just make it to your car, and you're home free._

_But suddenly, she felt Ned take her arm firmly. She didn't even bother pulling away, but instead turned to face him wearily. "There's nothing to talk about, I already told you," she said. _

"_You won't even listen to me. All we did was hug. I swear, that's all." _

"_That's not what it looked like to me," Nancy replied hotly. She glanced down at his hand. "Let go of me." _

"_Not until we work this out." _

_Nancy sighed. For a long moment, neither teen said anything. Finally, Ned wearily said, "If we can't trust each other—and we obviously can't—maybe we should end this right here and now." _

"_Fine by me." _

_Resignedly, Ned released his grip on her arm. Then, without looking back, he walked away and out of Nancy's life._

_--_

It was the biggest mistake of his life.

Ned had known this almost immediately after he and Nancy had broken up, but at the time had been filled with too much of his own pride to do anything about it. But now, two years later, he found himself in his apartment, staring at his phone, debating whether to pick it up and call just to hear her voice.

_She'll kill me, _a small voice in his head said.

_Pick up the phone,_ another voice said. _It would be illegal for her to kill you. Be logical, Nickerson._

Ned sighed, shying away from the phone. He glanced at the news article that rested on his desk, untouched. Bess had sent it to him a few weeks before. A single headline jumped out at him. "Local Detective to Wed". Jacob Smith. A twenty-four year old computer technitian. The article below it continued to talk about the newly engaged couple, informing the readers of their future plans.

There was no use in calling her, and Ned was very aware of that fact. He stood up and walked toward his closet, pulling his shirt off, preparing for bed. He was just about to crawl into bed when suddenly, one of Ned's fraternity brothers, Josh Burns, burst in the door, not bothering to knock. "Hey, Nickerson, there's something you've gotta see."

"What is it?" Ned asked.

"Something on the news. It involves your ex," he added.

Ned stood hesitantly, and then followed his friend to the nearest television in the lobby where the news was turned on. He took a seat on the couch next to Howie Little, a teammate and friend of Ned's.

"What's going on?" Ned asked.

"It's coming up," Josh answered.

After a few moments of the ordinary senseless news, the desk reporter suddenly caught Ned's attention as he said, "And now we go live to the scene of the accident."

The view changed to a woman reporter. Behind her was the raging River Heights River, now swarmed by rescue workers. "We're here live at the scene of an accident that happened only moments ago. We are told that two teenage girls were in the car at the time of the accident. The driver apparently lost control of the car after swerving to miss an apparent drunk driver. The car swerved as she tried to gain control of the car, but unfortunately, the car broke through the guardrail, falling into the River Heights River. You can see now," the young woman turned to face behind her, "rescuers have successfully freed one girl from the wreckage and are trying to free the second."

The scene focused in very close on the rescue workers. It was then that Ned saw his former girlfriend, unconscious and completely limp over the steering wheel. Water poured in through the broken glass. Rescuers worked frantically around her.

"We'll be back with more information as soon as it is available. Back to the news desk."

Howie turned the television off. The small group of guys remained where they were, stunned silent. Finally, Howie said, "I'm sure she'll be fine. Both of them. I'm sure they'll both be fine."

"This can't be happening," Ned mumbled.

"She'll be fine," Howie repeated, more firmly this time.

Suddenly, Ned's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. His own home number showed up. When he answered, the first thing his mother asked was, "Did you hear?"

Ned stared forlornly at the blank television. "I did."

--

Nancy and George Fayne were taken to the hospital, both in critical condition. The room was crowded with people, all waiting for news. Any news, preferably good news, regarding the girls' condition.

Carson Drew paced the floor restlessly; George's parents were sitting hand in hand on the firm, cold chairs, heads down and praying, flinching at the very sound of the double doors opening. Even the Nickersons waited anxiously with the group—excluding Ned.

Ned hadn't come. He wasn't sure it was completely appropriate—sure, he had dated Nancy for years, and he definitely still had feelings for her. Now that she was engaged, the reunion would be completely awkward and could possibly end in a full-blown argument if things weren't handled well.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a doctor walked out. He walked toward the small crowd of people. "Carson Drew?"

"That's me." Mr. Drew, who after two hours of pacing had finally resigned to taking a seat, now stood to face the doctor. "How is my daughter?"

The doctor's gaze turned sympathetic. "May I talk to you in private?"

--

Both girls suffered from a concussion and internal injuries, along with several broken bones. They were put in the ICU, just until the doctors were sure they were out of the clear. Their biggest worry was the fact that both of them had concussions—the last thing they needed was for one of them to fall into a coma.

George woke up within a few hours. She remembered everything that had happened, and almost immediately wanted to make sure her best friend was all right, ignoring her own pain and injuries. At first, she wasn't given a direct answer. But she pushed more and more until finally, her parents broke and told her the life-changing news the doctor had relayed to Mr. Drew hours before.

Besides the concussion, Nancy had broken her right arm and dislocated a shoulder, along with other minor sprains. She hadn't woken up yet, which alarmed the doctors slightly; however, they were keeping their hopes up.

The accident had also left something very permanent behind. Nancy was left paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors said there was a strong possibility that she would never walk again.

"That can't be," George said.

"It is," Mrs. Fayne said softly.

George shook her head. "How did she take the news?"

"They haven't told her yet. She's still unconscious."

"She's not going to take it well," George replied softly. "She's going to freak. I mean, telling _Nancy Drew_ that she can't do something…I wouldn't want to be in that room when they tell her."

"How are _you_ feeling?" Mrs. Fayne asked after a long moment of awkward silence.

George shrugged. "Considering I just walked away from a life-threatening accident, I'm doing well," she said with a small smile. "Except for this terrible headache."

Mrs. Fayne smiled. "That's to be expected."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," George answered. A moment later, Bess Marvin, George's cousin and Nancy's other best friend, opened the door. Seeing that her cousin was awake, Bess literally ran to the bed and threw her arms around George.

"I came as soon as I heard," she said. "Are you okay?"

"I will be when I get my breath back," George said jokingly.

Bess pulled away. "Sorry," she said, a small smile on her face. She sighed. "The accident made breaking news. When I heard that you two were involved…you have no idea how scared I was." She sighed. "I heard about Nancy. I feel terrible, just thinking about it."

"It's nothing you could have stopped," George replied.

Conversation changed quickly then, steering away from talk of the accident. After the ICU time limit had been filled, a doctor came in as a kind reminder, informing them that they could visit again in a few hours. Mrs. Fayne and Bess both said goodbye to George, then left the room.

--

Ned received another phone call from his father that night. Nancy had just regained consciousness. She was in stable condition and doing as well as could be expected. She had finally been told that she had been paralyzed, therefore leaving her unable to walk, possibly for the rest of her life. She hadn't taken it well.

Her _fiancé—_Ned hated even referring to him as so—was with her now. He had been out of state, but had driven eight hours straight just to be there with her. It made Ned sick to think about it.

Ned was brought out of his misery by a knock on his door. "Come in."

Howie walked in. "Have you heard anything new?"

Ned nodded. "She's in stable condition. They're going to keep a close eye on her the next few nights, but she should recover." He sighed. "Her fiancé is with her now."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Ned was fiddling with something small. "What's that?" Howie asked.

Ned set the object down. "Nothing," he replied a little too quickly.

Howie cleared his throat. "Hey, do you want to shoot some hoops? A couple of the guys are forming teams already for a game."

Ned stood. "You bet."

Just before they left, Ned opened the desk drawer and pushed the object—a diamond ring—off the desk and into the drawer. He pushed the drawer closed a little too roughly before following his friend out the door.

--

After almost a week in the hospital, Nancy and George were both released. They were given orders to take it easy the next few days.

Nancy's father took her home that evening. Nancy's car had been totalled, obviously. As he drove, she could only look out the window, watching as others walked or ran or played freely. She had never realized until then how much she had taken advantage of what she had once had. Once they made it back to the apartment that she shared with Jacob, and once her father helped her get inside, he decided to have a brief but serious talk with her.

"Nancy, I know that all of this has happened so sudden. None of us expected it, of course. And I know that it'll be hard for a while. But, honey, you've got to remember that we're all here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, we'll be here for you."

"I know," she said softly. "I know that." She sighed. "I just—I've just got to accept the fact that things have changed now."

Suddenly, they heard a key turn in the door. Jacob walked in. "Hey," he said. He kissed Nancy gently. "How long have you been home?"

"Just got here," she replied.

Mr. Drew stood up. "I was just leaving," he said. He glanced at his daughter. "Take it easy," he said.

Nancy smiled. "I will. Bye."

When he was gone, Jacob sighed and took a seat next to Nancy. "How are you doing?" he asked her.

She smiled softly. "Just fine, now," she answered.

Her fiancé sighed. "It's amazing how much your life can change in just a moment." He took Nancy's uninjured hand. "You know, if you want to change the wedding date…"

"No," she said immediately. "No, I don't want to change it."

"All right." He kissed her again, then glanced at the clock. "Do you need help with anything? Is there anything I can get you?"

She shook her head. "Not now. Thanks."

"I'm going to bed soon. If you need anything, anything at all, just wake me up."

"I will. Good night, I love you."

"I love you, too. Good night."


	2. Chapter 2

Next chapter's up. I hope you all enjoy it :) Thank you so much for the previous reviews! Your comments are very appreciated :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Ned's roommate, Jake, found the ring later that evening.

Ned had just returned from a long game of basketball to find his roommate holding the ring in his hand, inspecting it.

"What are you doing?" Ned asked.

"I was just looking for some paper and found this. Where'd you get this from?"

"I bought it. Give it back, please."

"Is it a _real_ diamond?"

"Give it back," Ned said more forcefully this time.

Jake dropped the ring in Ned's hand. "It's not like I was going to take it," he muttered. "So what's up? You got a girl I don't know about?"

Ned sighed as he sat on the bed, slowly removing his shoes. "No, I don't," he replied. "That's Nancy's engagement ring."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. So if you don't mind..."

Jake dropped the ring in Ned's waiting hand. "Sorry, I didn't know..."

"It's fine. Really. As long as she's happy, that's all that matters to me."

"Right."

"Let's just drop it, okay?" Ned sprawled out on his bed. "How was work?"

Jake shrugged. "Same as always. Listening to my boss nag at any poor soul that got in her way as I wait sullenly for my raise that has supposedly been coming for the past year and a half..."

"So it sucked then," Ned said with a small smile.

Jake laughed. "Yeah, it did."

The two friends remained quiet for a long time. Jake was sitting at the desk with a closed textbook in front of him. Ned lay in his bed, eyes closed, trying to clear his mind. The engagement ring was kept secure in his hand.

Jake stood up. "I've got to go get help on this assignment. I'll see you later." He walked toward the door. But just before he left, he stopped suddenly. "Hey, are you going to that party tonight?"

"Which one? I heard that there are quite a few going on."

"Burns' party."

"I don't know. I'll see."

"You should go." Jake paused. "If I tell you something, will you try not to take it personally?"

"Sure," Ned answered after a brief hesitation.

"It's obvious that you still care about your ex back home. But you can't mope about it. You just can't. Either do something about it, or move on. But if you plan on doing something, I'd do it pretty fast—she _is_ getting married soon, after all."

Jake left without another word, leaving Ned alone in his silent misery.

--

"Nan, are you ready?" Jacob called into the bedroom.

"Coming," she answered.

Nancy very carefully pushed herself up out of her chair, entirely using arm strength, before immediately moving to her wheelchair.

After she had gotten her cast off, Nancy had learned how to get around better without assistance. It took time, but slowly, she became more independent. Although Jacob had said that he was very willing to help her, she knew that the more she was able to do on her own, the less stress would be put on her fiancé.

She turned off the bedroom light then met Jacob in the living room. "Let's go."

They had scheduled a meeting with a bakery about twenty minutes away for cake sampling for the wedding. It wasn't the closest bakery, obviously, but it was well known for its cakes and highly recommended.

When the couple arrived, they were taken into a back room, where a young woman stood with a waiting smile. "Hi, welcome. Come on in," she said.

Jacob pushed Nancy closer to the table before taking a seat next to her. "Now," the woman began, "do you have a type of cake in mind for your wedding?"

Nancy and Jacob exchanged looks. "Well, I know that we've both got different preferences," Jacob began.

"Such as?"

"I definitely prefer vanilla over chocolate—"

"And I definitely prefer chocolate over vanilla," Nancy finished.

The woman smiled kindly. "Not a problem. We deal with this all the time. Just a minute. I'll have someone bring in some samples for you." The woman disappeared into the front again. A moment later, one of the many bakers returned carrying two small plates. As he set one plate in front of Nancy and the other in front of Jacob, the young woman returned. "Now here's a little bit about this type of cake…"

--

Nancy's father had invited them over for a late lunch after going to the bakery. Jacob apologized, saying that something had come up at work. But on his way out, he dropped Nancy off.

"Hey, honey," Carson Drew greeted his daughter. He leaned down to give her a hug, which she returned gratefully. "How're you doing?"

"Fine. Just fine," she replied. "I think we got our wedding cake picked out."

"What did you decide on?

"It'll be vanilla cake with white icing. The top of it will have white chocolate icing that looks like ribbon trailing down the cake."

"Sounds lovely." Nancy and her father looked toward the door as Hannah Gruen walked in. "Hey," she said. "I'm afraid dinner's been delayed. I've got to go to the store."

"I'll go with you," Nancy volunteered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Nancy gave a small laugh. "I don't get out much anymore. I welcome the opportunity."

"Alright. I'll help you into the car."

Ten minutes later, Hannah and Nancy were roaming the aisles of the local grocery store. Hannah sorted through the pile of fruit that had been piled up in a fairly large crate. "Hannah, I'm going to get a gallon of milk. I saw that we're out."

"Go ahead."

Nancy pushed her way several aisles over to the refrigerated items. She had just turned the corner when she noticed someone very familiar walking down the same aisle as she, but in the opposite direction. Immediately, her breath caught as her eyes met his.

"Ned."

Ned hesitated, and then walked toward her. When he stopped in front of her, he looked almost nervous. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

His eyes fell on the diamond on her left hand. After a short moment, he met her eyes again. The look in his eyes was that of regret.

"Yeah, it has."

--

Ned talked her into meeting at a small café the next afternoon. Just as friends, nothing else, he had emphasized. Hannah dropped her off.

Ned hadn't seen or spoken to Nancy Drew in over two years now, nor had he heard anything of her until her engagement. Now, he noticed a new brightness in her eyes. One that he hadn't seen two years ago. Besides this fact, however, as they talked, he realized that she was the same old Nancy.

"How has college been?" she asked.

"Great," Ned replied. "Senior year has definitely been the best. And I got an offer to go pro."

"That's great! What sport?"

"Football."

Nancy grinned. "I'll definitely have to come to a game of yours. That is, if you accept the offer," she added.

Ned smiled. "I'm considering it. How about you? How have you been?"

She shrugged. "Fine," she replied. "Planning the wedding has been a stress, but I know that it'll be worth it."

"Yeah, I read about your engagement in the paper. Congrats," he replied.

She smiled. "Thanks." She paused, then, realizing something, she asked, "How did you hear about it in the River Heights paper from Emerson?"

"Bess sent me the article," Ned admitted.

"Oh."

The conversation stopped there. Nancy glanced at her watch, then said, "Hannah is picking me up soon. It was nice to see you again," she said.

"Yeah, nice to see you, too."

Nancy picked up her purse, preparing to leave, when suddenly, Ned took her hand. "Nan, I've got to know something before you leave." He looked her straight in the eyes as he spoke. "Two years ago, I made a huge mistake by letting you go. I've always known it, but never had enough guts to do anything about it. And I want you to know that I'm sorry for what happened between us, and I hope that you're truly happy now. I hope that you're happy with him." _Your fiancé. _However, Ned couldn't bring himself to call the other man so.

Nancy took a deep breath. Finally, she said softly, "I am."

Ned squeezed her hand gently. "Good," he replied. "Because that's all that has ever mattered to me."

After giving her a small smile, Ned pushed his chair back and left, never once looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

I actually updated! Yay :) lol. So...I changed some things so my story would work out better.

1. Originally, I had Nancy and Ned as only dating when they broke up; now, they had been engaged before they broke up

2. I took out the party about Nancy not talking to Bess in years from last chapter. It was totally childish, and doesn't fit with the story.

Anyway...as of now, pairing is Ned/Bess and Nancy/Jacob. It will change eventually.

One last thing and I'm done with this A/N. I haven't read the On Campus series, so I'm not positive of what happened between Ned, Bess, and Nancy; I'm just going off of reviews I've read about the series. So sorry if it's screwed up.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Tell me what you think (good or bad)

* * *

"_Nancy! Hey, great party!" _

_Nancy turned to her friend, George Fayne, then smiled. "Definitely. Thanks for coming." _

"_Thanks for the invite. Hey, have you seen Bess?"_

_Nancy shook her head. "No." Then she laughed. "She probably found some guy to run off with." _

"_Probably," George replied, rolling her eyes. "Come on. Let's go find her." _

_The building they had rented was three levels high. Each floor had been lavishly decorated for Nancy and Ned's engagement party. The two girls went up to the second floor, where tables and food had been set up. They heard Bess's voice from a room just beyond the buffet. _

"_I can't take this anymore. I just can't."_

"_Bess, you knew that it would never work between us. You've got to be logical here." Ned's voice sounded firm but very wary as he spoke. _

_Nancy crept closer, drawn into their conversation. George followed. _

"_You can't tell me that after she dumped you, nothing happened between us."_

"_Nothing _did_ happen between us and you know it. Don't try to guilt me in to anything because it's not going to work." Ned pushed past her. "I'm through with this conversation."_

_From there, the conversation became quiet. After a very long moment, Nancy snuck a look around the corner—and saw her best friend in her fiancé's arms, much closer than just friends would hug. _

_Nancy followed her first instinct, which was to get as far away from that room as she could. _

"_Nancy!"_

--

"Nancy."

Nancy snapped out of her thoughts and back to reality, where Jacob was staring at her worriedly. She flashed a quick smile. "Sorry. I was just thinking. What were saying?"

"I can't believe how many people actually came."

"I know. This party's huge."

It was two weeks before the wedding. Once again, one of Nancy's co-workers, Cindy Lewis, had decided to throw a party for the young couple. The event had turned out much bigger than anyone had expected with nearly a hundred people total—everyone from family to close friends, most being from past cases. And the pile of gifts was towering higher with each guest.

Jacob took Nancy's hand and squeezed it gently. "You're a very popular person," he noted.

Nancy laughed. "Apparently. It's not just my friends that are here, though."

"True."

"Nancy!" George gave her friend a quick hug. "Having fun?"

"You bet," Nancy replied with a grin. She looked around the room. "It's a great party. Glad you could make it."

"Wouldn't miss it," George responded.

As Nancy and George spoke, Jacob excused himself and wondered off into the crowd.

"So when's the wedding again?"

"August 21," Nancy replied.

"It's coming up, then."

"Yeah. A little fast now."

"Are you excited?"

"Definitely. Who wouldn't be?"

George smiled, and then glanced toward the closest clock in the room, right above the door. Another couple was walking in. She dismissed this fact at first, but did a double take a moment later.

Nancy noticed and followed George's eyes. In the doorway stood Bess Marvin, and with her Ned Nickerson.

George looked at her friend uneasily. "I'm sure Cindy didn't know," she said quickly. "She probably wasn't thinking when she sent out the invites."

"Yeah," Nancy said absently. But Nancy knew Bess was there for another reason. Otherwise, even if she had been invited, why would she have actually showed up?

_Well, I knew that this would come up eventually. _

Bess finally noticed her and was now heading toward Nancy and George. "Nancy! It's so nice to see you!"

Nancy smiled at her cordially. "Yeah. I have not seen you in a while. How've you been?"

As the two former friends talked as if nothing had happened between them, George watched them both carefully. Their conversation seemed to be slightly uncomfortable for them both—almost a bit tense—but neither girl let it show too much.

"Well, I guess I should go rescue Ned," Bess said suddenly. "I think he got stopped up by Brenda Carlton at the punch table."

The three girls looked toward the table, and then laughed. Brenda Carlton, the daughter of the owner of the River Heights paper, was striking up a conversation with Ned—or at least _attempting_ to. Ned squirmed uneasily; his eyes darted around the room, constantly looking for a reason to walk off. With a quick wave, Bess was off again.

"That wasn't too bad, was it?" George asked.

Nancy shook her head. "No, I guess not," she replied. "Come on. Let's go socialize."

After dinner, the DJ opened the dance floor with several upbeat songs. The dance floor became crowded very quickly.

Eventually, Jacob reappeared. He pushed his way through to crowd and went to Nancy's side. "Hey, babe. Sorry about that."

He took her hand and took a seat next to her.

"Where did you go?" she asked. "You were gone quite a while."

"Phone call," was all he said. "Are you having fun?"

Nancy nodded. "You should go dance," she said.

"No, it's fine. I mean, if you aren't out there, too…"

Nancy shook her head. "Just because I can't dance doesn't mean you have to sit out. Go ahead. I don't want to ruin your fun."

Jacob looked at her hesitantly, and then finally said, "Alright." He gave her a quick kiss then disappeared again into the crowd.

The rest of the night went by fairly fast. Before the last song was played, benedictions were made, along with gratitude for all of those that came to the party.

Among the last to leave was Bess and Ned. Bess approached Nancy with Ned trailing close behind. "Thanks for the invite. We had a lot of fun."

"Thanks for coming," Nancy replied. Then she glanced at Ned. She immediately noticed a guarded look in his eyes and looked at him curiously. _He knows something…_

But Nancy immediately disregarded the thought. She was probably just looking too much into it. She smiled at them both. "It was nice to see you both," she said.

Ned nodded. "Nice to meet you, Jacob." He glanced at Nancy, and apparently became unable to hold back his bitterness for the other man any longer. "You know, you've got a really great girl there. I hope you know how to treat her right."

Jacob offered a tight smile. "I'm sure I can handle it," he said.

Bess took Ned's hand. "Come on. Let's go."

Nancy watched as the two left the room. She faintly heard Jacob say, "We should go, too. It's getting late. Are you ready?"

She nodded. "Let's get out of here."


	4. Chapter 4

Just a quick warning: this story involves total character OC

* * *

Nancy awoke the next morning to the sound of the telephone. Groaning, she rolled over and answered it. "Hello?"

"Nan? Did I wake you?"

Nancy rubbed her eyes, and then glanced at the clock. Ten, already. "Yeah, but I've got to get up. What's up?"

"Are you busy today? I figured you probably need a break from all of this wedding planning."

"I'm not busy. What did you have in mind?"

"Movie? One o'clock?"

"Sounds good. See you soon."

--

The day was a nice break for Nancy. It was relaxing compared to the usual stress of wedding planning.

The movie they chose was a comedy. It was very amusing to watch. Afterward, they ate at an Italian restaurant that was sworn to be the best in town.

"So has it been easier getting around now even without help?"

"Yeah. It's a lot easier than I thought it would be." She looked down at her wheelchair and sighed. "I only wish I was able to walk down the aisle on my wedding day."

George gave her an encouraging smile. "Nancy, your wedding will be wonderful whether you're walking down the aisle or in a wheelchair. Just be optimistic about it."

Nancy smiled back. "You're right. Optimistic. I should just be positive."

Suddenly, George's cell phone rang. She rolled her eyes. "Just a minute." She stood up and walked away, going just outside the restaurant entrance. It was only a moment later that she returned. Her eyebrows were creased with slight concern.

"What's wrong?" Nancy asked.

"That was Bess. She said there's something she needs to talk to you about. She said it's urgent."

Nancy picked her purse up off the floor. "Will you drop me off?" she asked.

"I think I'll go with you. Just so, you know, you won't murder each other."

Nancy laughed. "If you insist."

--

They arranged to meet at Nancy's father's house. Hannah Gruen was ready for them with milk and cookies and a warm fire.

The home was usually warm and welcoming. Now, however, the home was anything but, with tension thick enough to cut with a butter knife.

Ned and Bess sat at one side of the table; Nancy and George sat at the opposite side.

"Nancy, I know that we haven't exactly gotten along in the past few years," Bess began. "And I know you've lost a lot of trust. But I only hope that you trust us –" she glanced at Ned, "—when we say this."

Nancy leaned back in her wheelchair. Bess continued.

"When we were at your wedding shower, Ned and I overheard Jacob talking to someone—we just happened to be walking by—but he sounded upset. Being the nosy people that we are, we stopped right outside the door and listened.

"Of course we don't know the entire conversation, but we heard him saying things like, 'You can't rush into this' and 'We can't do anything until this wedding is over' and 'I'll make sure she doesn't find out. If she does find out…well, it'll speed up the process.'" Bess glanced at Nancy. "Do you know what—or who—he possibly could be talking about?"

Nancy frowned. "I don't know," she replied. "That conversation could mean almost anything. You heard so little of it."

"Do you two think he was talking about Nancy? Is that why you wanted to talk to her so desperately?" George asked.

Ned shrugged. "It's a possibility."

But Nancy shook her head in protest. "He would never try to even lay a hand on me," she said. "I think there's been a misunderstanding."

Bess frowned. "Maybe so. We're just trying to help."

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure we're fine."

"How long have you even known Jacob? A year? Maybe less? You don't know his intentions for sure."

"Neither do you," Nancy shot back.

Bess stood up. As soon as she did, both Ned and George followed suit; Ned took Bess's arm firmly.

"Not now," he said softly.

Bess shook his hand off. "Let's go, Ned. She's apparently got this under control."

Nancy and George watched the two leave. Bess took Ned's hand. _She knows she's being watched, _Nancy thought.

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and found Hannah standing behind her. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Nancy nodded. "I'm ready to go home."

--

George pulled up in front of Nancy and Jacob's apartment.

"You know, they really did mean well when they came over."

"I know. I just find it hard to believe either one of them after all they've done. And I wish she wouldn't feel the need to flash her boyfriend around every time she sees me."

"Yeah, she _does_ have a habit of that, doesn't she?" George sighed. "I'll talk to her. But remember, you're the one with the fiancé, not her."

"True."

"I think you should get some rest. If you need anything, call me. Even if you don't feel comfortable staying here."

"Thanks for the offer. I'll see you tomorrow."


	5. Chapter 5

Don't hate me after this chapter, please. Please keep reading. This will end happy, I promise. R&R please and enjoy.

* * *

"You know, you've really got to control your temper," Ned said.

"She's being ignorant," Bess replied.

"You don't even know if Jacob is a real threat to her."

"I just—" Bess sighed. "I just have this feeling that there's more to Jacob than she thinks."

Ned sighed and took a drink of his coffee. "She's the detective," he said. "If she doesn't think he's a threat, then you've got to trust her."

Bess stood and took her dirty dishes to the sink.

"Why do you care so much, anyway? I thought you hated her."

"I don't hate her. I mean, sure there might be tension between us—"

"To put it lightly—" Ned said under his breath.

"—but I definitely don't hate her."

Ned shook his head. "Her wedding is in two days," he said. "As for now, you've got to get over your differences and just be happy for her."

Bess studied him for a long moment. Finally, she asked, "Do you still have feelings for her?"

He paused just a split second too long as he answered, "No, of course not."

"You certainly sound like it."

"Just because I'm telling you to try to get along with her doesn't mean I have feelings for her."

"Then why did you hesitate just now?"

Ned glared. "Quit jumping to conclusions," he said.

Bess dropped the dishrag in the sink and turned back to face Ned. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Ned stood, removed his coat from the back of his chair, and then left without another word.

--

Two days later, everyone gathered at the local Christian church in River Heights for the wedding. There was close to a hundred guests after going through the list of family members for both Nancy and Jacob, and then going through their lists of friends combined.

Nancy was glowing as she was escorted down the aisle. Jacob, who stood under the alter, looked a little ill at ease; however, no one seemed to think much about it—it was normal for any groom to be nervous on their wedding day.

Everything was wonderful. The night was filled with fun, laughter, and hearty toasts to happiness for the young couple.

When it was time to make toasts, the best man raised his glass and declared their love—and their marriage—to be everlasting. The entire room raised their glasses to a toast to happiness.

Jacob's parents approached the couple at the bridal party's table at the front of the room.

"Hi, mom," he said.

"Hi, honey. I just wanted to tell you both congratulations. And Nancy—welcome to the family."

Nancy smiled. "Thank you," she said. She gave her mother-in-law a quick hug.

"So have you decided on where you're going on your honeymoon?"

Jacob and Nancy exchanged glances before answering, "I think San Francisco. We plan on leaving Friday."

"That's great," his mother replied.

Suddenly, one of Jacob's friends, Kyle, came up to them. "Hey, Jake, can I talk to you a minute?" he asked.

"Sure." Jacob turned to Nancy. "I'll be right back." Nancy nodded and watched him follow his friend out of the room.

Nancy decided to visit with the guests, whom were sitting at beautifully decorated tables, dining on plates with Nancy and Jacob's initials engraved on them.

_Everything's just about perfect,_ she thought with a smile.

But as she glanced at the clock, she realized that Jacob had been gone for more than just a few minutes; over half an hour had passed, and the groom still hadn't returned. Nancy headed to the door in search of him.

She didn't have to look far. Nancy left the room and went down the hall a ways. She stopped right outside the men's restroom as she heard Kyle's voice.

"You've got to speed this up a little," he said.

"I have to handle this carefully," Jacob replied. "I can't rush this, or everything will be ruined."

"That money is overdue. We have to get this done with so we can get the money we need. If we don't, the boss will have our heads—_that_ I'm certain of."

"Friday night. By Friday night, we'll be able to move on to step two. But now, I've got to get back out there—she'll be suspicious if I'm not back soon."

Nancy quickly moved away from the door and out of sight as the two men left. After a long moment, she followed them into the other room.

Her head was spinning. What money was he talking about? If he was having money issues, why hadn't he ever said anything?

She shook her head. She would figure it out eventually.

"There you are." Nancy turned as Jacob came up behind her. "I was wondering where you went."

Nancy smiled as he kissed her gently. "Where did you go? I was getting worried about you."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "You know how Kyle likes to talk," he said.

Nancy decided not to bring up the topic of what she overheard again.

The next hour went fast, and soon, guests were saying their last goodbyes. Nancy's father and Jacob's parents volunteered to clean up afterward. Jacob and Nancy thanked them before saying goodbye and going home.

To their new home.

They pulled up in front of the ranch-styled home about twenty minutes later. It was a two bedroom, two bath home.

"It's perfect," Nancy said.

Jacob helped her inside and the two explored the house more.

Furniture had already been moved in from their old apartment, so for now, nothing more had to be done to the house. Nancy ran her hand over the sleek, new kitchen cabinets.

They had a house now—their own house. The thought was absolutely amazing to her.

Jacob came up behind her. "What should we do now?" he asked.

She glanced around the house. "We should get a movie," she said. "Celebrate. Relax."

"Movie it is," he replied. "What movie do you want? I'll go rent it."

She shrugged. "You can pick," she said. "I picked last time."

"You sure?" Nancy nodded. "Okay. I'll be back. I love you."

"Love you, too. Drive safe."

--

Jacob had taken off work for the wedding and honeymoon. They spent most nights at home together, either cuddling on the couch or playing late-night card games. One evening, they decided to try something new, involving experimenting with meals. However, they didn't quite have the ingredients they need. Jacob volunteered to go.

Before leaving, he brought in the mail, skimmed over each envelope, and then left the remaining pile with Nancy.

"I'll try to hurry," he promised. He kissed her gently. "Love you."

"Love you, too." She glanced outside. "Drive careful; it looks like a storm is coming in."

"I will. Bye."

After he left, Nancy looked over what was left of the mail. Bills, mostly. She put the stack aside. But she suddenly came across an envelope addressed to 'Jeremy Swartz'.

Wrong address, she thought at first. But then she noticed that it _wasn't_ the wrong address. The address on the envelope matched their current address perfectly.

Normally, Nancy would leave it be—the mail couldn't possibly be theirs. But she had this feeling...the feeling that something was…wrong.

Inside the envelope were two plane tickets out of state. Our of the country, in fact. The departure date was only a few days after they were supposed to leave for San Francisco.

Nancy picked up the phone and called George.

"Hey, Nan, what's up?" her friend answered.

"George, are you busy?"

"No," George replied slowly. "What's up?"

"I don't think Bess was completely wrong about Jacob."

--

"So you think Jacob's using a false name?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Nan, if that's true…he must be hiding something."

"So all of those phone calls he made, when he never said who was on the phone…" Nancy shook her head. "I can't imagine what he could possibly be hiding."

"Me, either. But, Nan, you can't go on that trip Friday if something's up with him."

"What if it's nothing?"

"Is it a risk you want to take? I mean, if your own husband can't tell you his real name, then something serious is going on."

"You're right," she said.

"I have to go," she said. "I have company coming over soon. But if you need anything at all, just call."

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem. Stay safe."

--

As promised, Jacob returned in record time with everything they needed for their meal.

It was supposed to be a night of relaxing. It was supposed to be a night off for them both. However, it was anything but that.

"Nan, baby, are you here?" he called.

Nancy was still in the kitchen. The plane tickets were on the table. She tried to hide them, but it was too late. Jacob approached her slowly.

"What do you have there?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she replied lamely, hating herself for being so careless. But he saw the empty envelope on the counter and immediately knew.

She started to back up and reached for the phone; however, he was faster, and a moment later, she found herself in his grasp, helpless.

"You're too smart for your own good," he said.

"Let go of me, or I'll—"

"You'll what? Scream? No one will hear you. No, you're coming with me." He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the garage. She tried to struggle, but it wasn't near as easy as it used to be for her--not with her having two useless legs. He opened the car door and laid her on the seat. She tried to push herself up, but couldn't. A moment later, he was holding a rag soaked in something sickly-sweet over her nose and mouth.

"Don't worry," he said softly. Her world was slowly closing in on her. "It'll all be over soon. Just cooperate and it'll all be over soon."

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was her husband's smirk right before he closed the door.

--

Back at George's apartment, Bess, Ned, and she sat in front of the television, watching the newest and supposedly greatest comedy film out. And that it was. When the telephone interrupted them, they all groaned as George got up to answer it.

"Hey, pause it for me, okay?"

"Got it."

She picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"George?"

"Hannah?" she replied. "Hey, what's up?"

"George—" Hannah broke off for a moment.

"Hannah, what's wrong?" Ned and Bess turned their gaze toward George in curiosity.

"There was an accident. A car accident. Nancy and Jacob were out, and he lost control of the car, and—"

"Are they okay?"

"Jacob is fine. But Nancy's in the ICU. They don't expect her to make it."

--

The three friends were at the hospital within ten minutes flat. Once there, they were informed that only one visitor was allowed at a time. George went in first.

"Isn't it strange," Bess said, "that Jacob can come out of an accident with hardly any injuries, and yet Nancy isn't even expected to make it through the night?"

"Yeah," Ned said. He took Bess's hand gently. "And if he hardly had any injuries, where is he now that he isn't staying by her? I mean, if my wife was in the hospital, I wouldn't leave her side for anything."

"The whole thing is strange," Bess said softly.

Suddenly, George pushed through the double doors. She walked toward the group and sank into the nearest seat.

"One of you can go in now," she said.

Bess and Ned exchanged glances. "You can go in," Bess said.

Ned stood. "It's the second door on the right," George said.

"Thanks," Ned said before disappearing down the hallway.

--

"I don't think that accident was an actual accident," George said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think Jacob intentionally wrecked that car."

Bess's eyes widened. "No," she said. "Surely—surely not."

George sighed. "There's more." She quickly explained everything that Nancy had told her before the accident. When she finished, Bess sat back in her chair.

"So you think he actually tried to kill her?"

George nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Bess sat there a long moment, silent. Finally, she said, "I want to tell Ned." She stood. "I'll be right back."

She walked down the long hallway to Nancy's hospital room door. It was propped open. She peaked in.

Ned was standing next to her bed, holding her hand gently. She was unconscious still, but he was speaking to her anyway.

"It's been so long since I've seen you and talked to you—_really_ talked to you. There's so much that I've wanted to say in the past few years." He shook his head. "I guess I won't be able to tell you now, where you'll actually hear me."

Bess stayed where she was, still listening. He hadn't noticed her yet. Ned continued.

"I still love you. I've always loved you. It was so hard to let you go, and now—" he shook his head again.

Bess took a step closer. Finally, Ned looked up and saw her. Their eyes didn't quite meet.

"We need to talk," Bess said finally.

Ned nodded. He walked toward Bess. Before leaving, the two of them looked back at Nancy one last time.

"Do you think she's going to make it?" Bess asked. Her voice shook as she spoke.

"She's always made it before," Ned replied softly. "But this time…" he sighed. "I'm not so sure."

For a long moment, they gazed at their friend as she lay there, broken and bruised, in that hospital bed. Finally, Bess took Ned's hand. "Come on," she said softly. "Let's go home."


	6. Chapter 6

I didn't really like the first version of this chapter, so here it is reposted and changed. Enjoy! I'll try to update sooner next time... :)

* * *

Days turned into weeks. Nancy remained in the hospital.

After the first week, it came to the point where she was in and out of consciousness often. Her friends and family stayed with her, taking shifts so they would all at least have a chance to sleep.

One person not allowed in the hospital room was Jacob Smith.

"I'm her husband. I should be in there with her."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have strict orders—"

"I don't care about your orders. I want to see my wife."

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave—"

"Come on—"

"_Now_, sir, before I call security."

Hannah, who had been with Nancy at the time, watched from her place beside Nancy's bed as Jacob stormed off, muttering something angrily under his breath. She shook her head before turning her attention back to Nancy.

She hadn't realized that she had dozed off until she felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder. She immediately jerked awake. Ned was standing beside her.

"Sorry," he said with a small smile. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," she said.

"How is she?"

Hannah shrugged. "She woke up a few times, but not for long. I tried to talk to her, but she was still out of it, I could tell—she just mumbled a reply that I couldn't understand."

For a long moment, a gloomy silence followed. "You should go home to get some rest," he said finally. Seeing her gaze go to Nancy again, he said, "I'm here now. I'll stay with her."

Reluctantly, Hannah stood. "Thanks," she said. "If you need anything, or if anything changes…"

"I'll let you know," he promised.

--

"You know, we're friends with Nancy Drew," George said one afternoon.

"Yeah," Bess said slowly. "So?"

"We're friends with the best detective there is in River Heights, and probably in the state of Illinois. If there's anything that Jacob's hiding, we should be able to find it just as much as she could."

"You're right," Bess replied. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. Since the police won't listen to us, we'll just have to find the evidence ourselves."

"So…when should we start? And _where_ should we start?"

Bess shrugged. "Right now? And I think we've got to either find a way to get into their house, or attempt to search what's left of their car."

"I vote for the first choice," George said. "Let's go."

--

They waited until it got dark. Then, dressed completely in black, the cousins took off for Nancy and Jacob's apartment.

The house was completely dark. Jacob's car was gone—perfect. They crept up the stairs to the front door, where, under the mat, a key waited for them.

"This is easier than I thought," Bess whispered. "Why can't they all be this easy?"

"Shh," George whispered back.

The door opened easily and the two girls entered the house. Each girl clicked on their flashlight before splitting up.

Bess went to the bedroom while George went to the kitchen. The bedroom was a mess, with dresser drawers open and clothes left on the floor. On the dresser was a wedding picture of Jacob and Nancy. Bess smiled sadly. What Nancy had hoped would be a wonderful life turned out to be a living nightmare.

Next to the picture was an opened envelope containing two plane tickets. _This must be what Nancy found earlier,_ she thought.

Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. Text message. She read it.

_Jacob's home. Get out. Now._

Bess's heart raced. She heard a door shut, followed by footsteps on the stairs. She immediately went into the closet. A moment later, she heard Jacob's voice as he approached the bedroom.

"The plan backfired," she heard him say. "She's waking up. She'll tell everything she knows." He paused. "Just a second, I'm getting my suitcase. Let me put you on speaker."

Bess pushed herself deeper into the shadows. Jacob opened the closet door. He pulled a suitcase off the top shelf. He put the suitcase on the bed and then went back to the closet to retrieve several outfits. She closed her eyes and held her breath, not daring to make a sound or movement, no matter how small.

"You've got to do something to keep her quiet," the voice on the phone said.

"How? They won't let me into her room at the hospital."

"Jake, you're a detective just like she is. Don't tell me you can't get past the security at a hospital. You've solved murders, dealt with life threatening situations. This is nothing compared to what you're used to."

"Fine. I'll take care of her tonight. What time are we meeting?

"Nine o'clock. The flight leaves at midnight. Don't be late."

"I won't be. See you then."

--

Bess met up with George twenty minutes later, when she was certain it was clear.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

George shook her head. "You?"

"I didn't find anything, but I did hear something." She quickly retold everything she had overheard.

"We've got to get to the hospital," George said. "And we need the police. How are we going to convince them that she's in real danger, though? It'll be our word against his."

Bess held her phone up with a grin. "I got the entire conversation recorded on my phone."

George's mouth fell open. Then, she draped her arm around Bess's shoulder. "I didn't think you had it in you," she said. "I'm impressed."

Bess blushed. "Come on. We've got to hurry." George nodded and then the two of them sprinted home.

--

Ned was staying with Nancy that night. It had been a quiet night—it was one of the very few nights that Nancy actually slept the entire night. But suddenly, Ned heard commotion outside the room. He stood. A moment later, Jacob Smith stood in the doorway. Behind him, Ned noticed the guard that normally stood outside the door slumped over, unconscious.

Instead of his normal clothes, he was clad in a doctor's coat and even wore an official nametag of another employee at the hospital. When he saw Ned, his eyes narrowed.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he asked.

"I could ask the same of you," Ned replied.

Jacob smirked. "I came to see my wife."

"You stole a doctor's uniform to see your wife?" Ned replied.

Jacob stepped forward. "Move out of my way, Nickerson," he said.

"I don't think so. You're not getting near her without going through me."

Jacob smiled. "You think you can protect her?" He stepped closer. "You obviously don't know what I'm capable of. I don't have a problem finishing two people off tonight."

Ned's heart pounded fiercely in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. He had to. He wasn't going to let Jacob finish what he couldn't accomplish earlier.

When Jacob lunged for him, he was ready.

Jacob swung a punch at Ned, who promptly dodged it before throwing a punch of his own. Jacob grunted and fought back even harder. He swung several times at Ned and managed to get several good hits in, but Ned managed to fight back, releasing every bit of anger he held toward the other man right then. But he wasn't prepared for what came next.

Suddenly, Ned felt a sharp pain near his ribs. He winced, and his grip on Jacob loosened. Jacob stood quickly and bolted to the hospital bed, taking a now-bloody knife with him.

At that moment, Ned wasn't worried about himself; he wasn't worried about the fact that he was hurt and bleeding, but instead, his thoughts went to Nancy. Nancy, the one who had been tricked into love. Nancy, who had been hurt in so many ways in the past few years. And Nancy, who was only seconds away from being the victim of a cold-blooded crime.

"No!" Ned said. With the last bit of strength he had, he lashed out at Jacob, catching him by surprise. Jacob fell to the floor. Before he could retaliate, someone yelled, "Freeze! River Heights P.D.! Put your hands up."

As Jacob was apprehended, Ned leaned back against one of the chairs in the room, still slumped on the floor. People surrounded him, but he was hardly aware of it.

"Get him to the ER right away!" someone shouted through the chaos.

The last thing he remembered was being put on a gurney and rushed down a long hallway. As soon as they burst through the double doors to the emergency room, he lost consciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm impatient. I'm excited to get to the next chapter. So next chapter's up! Enjoy! Thanks to those that have reviewed so far!! :) Next chapter will be up soon.

* * *

It was midnight when Ned awoke from what seemed like an eternal sleep. He knew without opening his eyes that someone was sitting next to him, gently holding his hand. He heard his mother's voice as she said, "I think he's waking up."

Ned shook his head to clear it. He slowly opened his eyes. His parents were next to his bed. At seeing him awake, Mrs. Nickerson nearly broke down with happiness. "Thank God," she said before wrapping her arms around him.

"We were so worried…I thought we'd lost you," she said.

"Is Nancy alright?"

Mr. Nickerson nodded. "Nancy is fine. Jacob was arrested, so she's safe. You're both safe."

Mrs. Nickerson added, "Nancy came to shortly after you were taken to the ER and Jacob was taken into custody. When questioned, she spilled everything she knew. At hearing this, Jacob finally confessed that he did try to kill Nancy. He and his accomplices had been planning to kill her for well over a year."

"But why?" Ned asked.

"Money," Ned's father replied. "After his father died, he was told that he was to receive a large sum of money, but only after marriage. At the time, he was in deep debt, and in the middle of an illegal deal gone bad. The opportunity seemed perfect. He figured if he got married, he could inherit his money, and then kill his wife by staging an 'accident', so he wouldn't have to share to share the money, and no one would find out about the illegal financial issues he was dealing with."

"That's so…malicious. And sick."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Ned turned his eyes toward the door. "Nancy," he said softly.

Her left arm was wrapped in a cast and put in a sling, her face was covered with bruises and a scar was visible near her eye from where she hit the dashboard of the car. But she was alive, and that was all that mattered right then.

Ned's parents glanced at each other. "We'll come back in a little bit," Mrs. Nickerson said. She gave Ned a quick hug before her husband and she left the room.

Nancy wheeled over to Ned's hospital bed. He pushed himself up, wincing at the sudden movement.

"I heard I missed quite a fight," she said.

Ned grinned. "Yeah. Some fight. Look where it got me."

Nancy returned the smile, and then reached out with her good hand and took one of his hands. "You saved my life," she said. "You risked your life to save mine."

Ned gave her a small smile. "It was nothing," he replied. "You know that."

"Still…thank you."

"I was just glad to finally give that man what he deserved. I wish I could have done more."

"You did plenty."

The room was quiet, except for the soft sound of the heart monitor next to Ned's bed. For a moment, neither of them talked, but instead stayed silent.

The tension that was once between them was gone. The walls that were once built up over the years were slowly being torn down as Nancy leaned in closer. Then, they kissed.

For several long moments, they kissed, before finally, reluctantly, Nancy pulled away.

"I should go back to my room," she said after a moment. Ned simply nodded. She squeezed his hand before retreating.

Ned sighed and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he heard footsteps in the hallway again. He opened his eyes and glanced toward the door. A moment later, his parents entered the room. Almost immediately, Mr. Nickerson, noting the look in his son's eyes, asked, "What's up with you?"

"He's in love," Mrs. Nickerson answered, smiling.

--

Ned was released from the hospital three days later. However, he rarely left the hospital, but instead, stayed with Nancy. It wouldn't be for another two weeks that the two would be reunited outside of the hospital.

The day she was released was a day of celebration. It was like a new beginning for her. What happened before was in the past—at least, for now, until Jacob Smith's trial when she would need to testify. But until then, she was free.

Ned took her back to her father's house, where she would be staying until she was able to get everything back together in her life.

"It feels so good to be home. I mean to _really_ feel at home," Nancy said.

"Especially after you've lived with a psychopath," Ned replied.

Nancy nudged him with her good arm.

"Hey, it's true," he replied.

"Let's change the subject," Nancy suggested. "We should do something."

"Like what?"

Nancy glanced at the clock, and then back at him. "Let's go out to eat," she said.

--

They ate outside at a small café downtown River Heights. The afternoon was fading away as nighttime approached. The night was cool and peaceful.

"So I heard Bess has found herself another guy," Nancy said.

"Already?"

Nancy nodded. "Record timing, I think. What happened between you two, anyway? Every time you were together, she made sure everyone around her knew that you were hers."

"_You_ happened," Ned said. He smiled a little. "You know, for the longest time, I thought I was in love with her. I really did. And then I saw you in the store that day, and everything changed. I knew I still loved you."

Nancy sighed. "Promise me," she said, "that if we give this another shot, you won't pull off some stunt like you did the night before our wedding."

"I promise," Ned said. He took her in his arms, then. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Don't leave me again," she murmured.

"I won't. I swear I won't.


	8. Chapter 8

Last chapter's up. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Two years later, Nancy and Ned married.

The wedding, like Nancy's first, was quite large, with over a hundred attendees.

Red roses had been placed on the ends of ever pew. The lights had been dimmed and candles lit in their place, making the room a soft setting. Guests waited patiently in their seats for the bride's arrival.

Ned stood at the altar with the two groomsmen and his best man, looking very anxious. One of them nudged Ned and softly said something, and Ned laughed in reply. The sound was warm and cheerful.

Suddenly, the wedding march began, and everyone turned their attention to the doorway.

The bridesmaids came first. There was a short break in between, but soon following, was the bride.

Today was a day of celebration for more reasons than one. The obvious reason was the celebration of marriage, and Nancy and Ned's commitment to share the rest of their lives together. But the second was the celebration of a pure miracle.

For the first time in over two years, Nancy walked. She walked down the aisle at her own wedding.

Her steps were slow and cautious. However, slowly but surely, she made her way down the aisle with her father at her side. She was beaming. The sight took Ned's breath away.

As their eyes met, Ned's grin widened. When she reached the end, everyone applauded.

Everything was perfect. The wedding ran smoothly. Once their final vows were made, Ned swept Nancy off her feet and kissed her. When they pulled apart, she was laughing, and the crowd cheering.

The pastor gladly turned to the crowd and said, "May I introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Ned Nickerson."


End file.
